MAC-10: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 14:03, 7 February 2009

The Ingram MAC-10 and its derivatives can be seen being used by the following actors in the following movies, television series, anime, and video games:

Note: The correct nomenclature is "MAC-10", not a Mac-10. MAC is an abbreviation for Military Armament Corporation.

Information

Type: Submachine Gun and Semi Automatic pistols for general public sale.
Operation: Open bolt, Blow Back
Abbreviation: Military Armament Corporation Model 10 (M.A.C-10/MAC-10)
Cyclic Rate: ~1200rpm
Caliber: 9mm Parabellum (MAC-10/9) .45 ACP (MAC-10), .380 ACP (MAC-11)

Gordon Ingram designed the MAC-10 in 1965 and later, when the company he worked for, Sionics Inc, was merged into the larger Military Armament Corporation in 1970, the MAC-10 was put into production. The 9mm and .45 acp versions were introduced simultaneously. The .380 version was introduced later in the same year. The MAC-10 was then offered to the U.S. Military during the final years of the Vietnam War as a weapon for special operations and for support personnel, like armored units (hoping to replace the M3A1 Submachine gun as the self defense weapon of most tank crews). The MAC-10 didn't generate a lot of interest from the U.S. Military due to it's small size and high rate of fire (too high it turns out for most operational uses). The lack of a foregrip motivated M.A.C. to provide a grip strap in front so that a second hand could hold down the gun and control the extreme muzzle climb when firing a long burst. But it was still an awkward weapon to fire and was most popular when mated with the efficient Sionics Two Stage Sound Suppressor. The Sionics Suppressor increased the length, quieted the sound (in a manner that was impressive for it's day), and gave the shooter a stable point to grab with the second hand. CIA and SEAL units used the MAC-10 in Vietnam, and Special Ops units from other countries (Israel, UK and West Germany to name a few have been seen wielding versions of the MAC-10 during that time period). Unfortunately no Major military ever formally adopted the weapon and it was sold mostly to Elite Police units (foreign and domestic) as well as special covert ops units until Military Armament Corporation went bankrupt in 1976. The death knell was the U.S. Government ban on selling Silencers/Suppressors to other countries (a ridiculous ban that has since been lifted). But foreign clients only wanted the MAC-10 with the Sionics Suppressor, orders fell to nothing. We can still see Ingram MAC-10s in South and Central America (usually 'gifts' from the CIA over the years) and in the armories of some European countries, but no one uses it as a 'front line' weapon any more.

Other companies then built transferable versions of the MAC-10/9, MAC-10 and MAC-11 : most notably RPB Industries and SWD Corporation. Only the MAC guns built by M.A.C. (when Gordon Ingram was there) can be called "Ingram MAC-10s".

The Cobray M11 is not a 'true MAC' in that it was an updated design 'based' on the MAC-10 blueprints by SWD Industries. Cobray was the company that emerged when SWD closed down in 1986, however SWD was the first company to design the 'elongated' M11/9 pistol that Cobray became famous for. All of the fully transferable SWD/Cobray M11 submachine guns were actually built by SWD between 1978 and 1986. Cobray kept the SWD logo on many of their frames, but Cobray (the new company) actually only manufactured semi-automatic pistols for public sale after 1986 until they themselves folded (for the most part) in the late 1990s (though they still exist now, selling replacement parts for their guns but they are shadow of their former selves).